Pepsi Global has launched a campaign film featuring football legends to celebrate the traditions, rituals, and shared passion of fans beyond the 90 minutes.
Following the launch of the Pepsi Football Nation platform, described as a multi-year global platform designed to bring football culture into everyday life for fans across the globe, the campaign film is inspired by conversations that keep the spirit of the game alive, says the brand.
The three-and-a-half-minute film opens with Sir David Beckham handing the playbook to the fans, inviting them to dictate the “rules” of the Pepsi Football Nation. Viewers are taken through scenes including Florian Wirtz speed parking with accuracy, a referee checking it on VAR, Lauren James teaching a university lecture on breaking the offside trap, and appearances by Vini Jr., Alexia Putellas, and Mohamed Salah.
Fans unveil rules central to the Pepsi Football Nation, including Rule #7: Superstitions are Sacred, Rule #33: Who is the “King of Skill”? Rule #84: You Must Wear Your Winning Jersey to Work, and Rule #100: Everything Gets Settled on the Pitch.
Pepsi is also supporting Rule #1 of the Pepsi Football Nation: “It’s called Football, Not Soccer.” A free web extension will allow users to replace mentions of the word “soccer” with “football” while reading or browsing.
The campaign extends to Reddit, described as a hub for football discourse, where fans can define their own rules and rituals.
“Football has always gone beyond what happens on the pitch during the 90 minutes,” said Eugene Willemsen, Chief Executive Officer, International Beverages at PepsiCo.
“It lives in conversations, rivalries, and traditions that bring fans together every day, across communities, markets and generations.”
From the players:
Mohamed Salah: “Fans are what makes the beautiful game great, so having a world where they write the rules just feels right. Love being part of the Pepsi Football Nation and celebrate football’s rituals.”
Vini Jr.: “For me, football is about joy and expression, so joining the Pepsi squad to celebrate the game’s culture and passion was easy. I regret not asking the fans sooner!”
Lauren James: “I’ve always had my own approach big games, whether playing or watching. So to see all these football culture quirks come together in one campaign was great.”
Alexia Putellas: “There’s something special about football culture beyond the pitch. Rituals that are shared by players and fans. I jumped at the chance to help Pepsi bring those traditions centre stage.”
Florian Wirtz: “Football is so much more than a game. There’s passion, there’s debate, there’s traditions. So, it was fun to tell the rules that fans live by every day.”
